Chapter 148: Her Courage, the Pure Heart of the Bright Moon
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“What is the significance of studying physics?” Jiang Fuyue asked.
The entire venue fell into silence.
Xu Kaiqing’s expression shook, subconsciously holding his breath.
Yan Zhenfeng’s gaze was intense.
“Zhuangzi said thousands of years ago: ‘Judge the beauty of heaven and earth, analyze the principles of all things.’ If our eyes are meant for discovering and appreciating things, then our thoughts are meant for distinguishing and delving into their principles.”
She spoke fluent English right from the start.
Precise wording, authentic pronunciation.
“There can be many forms of appearances of things, but there is only one essence. I believe the significance of studying physics lies in stripping away the superficial and discovering the most fundamental things, unifying all things under a common principle.”
“Before explaining the physics of quasi-crystals, we first need to understand what quasi-crystals are.”
“In 1982, 41-year-old Daniel Shechtman, while studying aluminum-manganese alloys using X-rays, discovered diffraction patterns with a 10-degree symmetry. As we all know, in the crystals found in nature, atoms and molecules are arranged periodically. Periodic crystal structures, such as those with quadrilateral, hexagonal, and 5-degree symmetry, are fundamentally impossible.”
“Because,” Jiang Fuyue paused for a moment, her clear gaze sweeping over everyone, “mathematically, it can be proven that a structure with 5-degree symmetry cannot fill the entire space.”
“Shechtman’s discovery unsurprisingly caused a great stir in the field of crystallography and related academic circles. When a new discovery breaks old rules, inevitable questioning and rejection follow. Of course, that’s not the focus of our discussion today.”
She spread her hands, accompanied by a shoulder-shrugging movement, showcasing a unique and humorous style that exuded powerful personal charm.
She was relaxed, confident, and, for a moment, it made people forget that this was just a small lecture hall, making it seem more like a grand auditorium with a gathering of thousands.
Unfortunately, the audience was not up to the mark.
“What is she talking about?”
“I can’t hear.”
“Isn’t it said that those from Linhuai are all learning ‘dumb English’? Her… did she really believe she spent over ten or twenty years abroad?”
“I feel she’s more practiced than Huo Fanjin.”
“What’s that… can we get an English version of her translation?”
“I suspect she’s just showing off.”
“Heh, a person who is cheap will always be pretentious. At first, she insisted on following the IPhO standards, afraid of not being able to trouble the other party. Now that she strictly adheres to the standards, she feels like she’s showing off. If she’s so capable, why not ascend to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun? Does she think the summer camp is run by her family?”
“Maybe this is called… sour grapes?”
“Heh, that’s true!”
“Is it so hard to admit that someone is excellent?”
“Not difficult. I think Jiang Fuyue is pretty amazing, super cool.”
The person: “…”
On the stage, Jiang Fuyue had walked to the second whiteboard. “Returning to the question itself—Explain the physics of quasi-crystals with data support.”
“The vagueness of this question is equivalent to asking someone to analyze the physics of a bubble rising from underwater to the surface. From a physics perspective, analyzing the forces on a bubble. No numbers, no conditions, the respondent needs to create their own scenario, assume analysis, and also consider the impact of various external factors, such as changes in temperature or the influence of wind, and even detailed effects of water density.”
“What should we do?”
This question struck a chord with everyone.
Indeed, there were countless aspects, seemingly entering from any angle, but they didn’t dare to easily start.
Jiang Fuyue gave everyone five seconds to think and then continued, “This requires us to construct a new theoretical framework in our minds!”
This statement caused a commotion.
Even Yan Zhenfeng couldn’t help but widen his eyes, as if he had heard some incredible story.
He even wanted to laugh, laughing at her ignorance and audacity.
Hear her talk about “constructing a new theoretical framework”?
What naive and foolish nonsense was this?
Newton did create classical mechanics, Planck founded quantum mechanics, but what about Jiang Fuyue?
Was she Newton? Could she compare with Planck?
She dared to boast about constructing a new framework?
“I just want to know who gave her the courage?”
“Blowing hot air should have a limit. Isn’t she afraid of being struck by lightning in a big storm?”
Su Qing disdainfully sneered, “She floats away after answering two questions correctly. What kind of academic goddess is that?”
Liu Ling hesitated, “But I think it’s good the way she is.”
Chen Sichang exclaimed, “Huh?”
“After all, we don’t even have the courage to stand on the stage and boast,” Liu Ling continued.
There was a moment of silence around.
On the stage, Jiang Fuyue smiled gracefully, calmly accepting all doubts and ridicule, appearing as dignified as an outsider.
She said, “If research is a maze, then I don’t mind exploring every wrong path because only through continuous attempts can we find the right one.”
“If a person walks out of the maze, please believe that they must have a pair of feet covered with calluses. If, unfortunately, they fall along the way, those who come later will continue the path they left behind.”
Stumbling, with hands and feet calloused.
This is the attitude towards research that Xu Kaiqing wanted to express with this question.
“Physics was born into the world, never alone. It has the foundation of chemistry, the support of mathematics, and is constructed with the sweat and tears of countless scholars, resulting in the skyscraper-like structure we see today. And all I can do is contribute in my own way, brick by brick.”
“My explanation is complete, thank you.”
Jiang Fuyue bowed, and in that moment of bending down, her slender back appeared fragile, as if it could break at any moment, yet it seemed to carry a tremendous force bearing the weight of science and civilization.
The venue quieted down, no discussions, no applause, as if entering a vacuum zone, forgetting how to react.
And unnoticed by anyone, at the entrance, two figures had been standing for a while—
Shen Wenzhao’s eyes widened, “….. Ah Yuan, this girl reminds me of you back in the day.”
Xie Dingyuan didn’t speak, just looked at the stage with a deep and profound gaze.
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